ACROSS
1 Ram resorts to coercion... (3-8) ARM-TWISTING {RAM}* [RA]
9 ...deals with partner and gets a company share primarily (7) MANAGES {MAN}{A}{GE}{Sh..e}
10 Plans to pinch the cash (7) HATCHES*
11 Veils will be in demand following month on Sabbath (5) MASKS {M}{ASK}{S}
12 Single French gentlemen seen at topless model's engagement (9) IMMERSION {1}{MM}{vERSION}
13 Mercenary, hooligan in jail, arrested (5) NINJA [T]
15 A batsman with no substance, say consumed at first slip; gives up (9) ABNEGATES {A}{Ba...aN}{EG}{ATE}{Slip}
18 Small step taken with uncertainty; avoided bad start but got dazed (6-3) SPACED-OUT {S}{PACE}{DOUbT}
21 One who works in a pit may ingest noxious elements right at the start (5) MINER Acrostic
22 Partner is a techie sweating to earn a billion by middle of September (9) COHABITEE COH{A}{B}ITE{s..tEm..r} Error in anagram fodder, AD seems to have overlooked the O?
24 Fabric many long to hold (5) NYLON [T]
26 Most important to retain right to have a cocktail (7) MARTINI {MA{RT}IN}{1}
27 Tiring routine of artist to draw (3,4) RAT RACE {RA}{TRACE}
28 Brotherhood is the norm, say (11) FREEMASONRY {NORM+SAY}* [RA]
DOWN
1 Passage's last word is on tanks, shells and weaponry (9) ARMAMENTS {ARM}{AMEN}{TankS}
2 Manufactures notebook at school (5) MINTS {MI}{NT}{S}
3 Woman's maturity and degree determines salary structure (4,5) WAGE SCALE {W}{AGE} {SCALE}
4 Some of the wisest in academia compose a poem (7) SESTINA [T]
5 Husband leads Uma into hotel that's strange (7) INHUMAN {IN{H}{UMA}N}
6 Reptile skips the end of the door and takes another gate (5) GATOR {GATe}{OR}
7 Name of the child's Regina, delivered by nurse on 1st... (8) CHRISTEN {CH}{R}{1ST}{EN}
8 ...which is a crime (2,2) AS IN {A}{SIN}
14 He ranted about a cowboy (8) NEATHERD*
16 Arranges in pairs and shoots right away (9) GEMINATES GErMINATES
17 Oddly wander on road before having some liquor at Yanam primarily (9) STRANGELY {ST}{RANGE}{Li...r}{Ya..m}
19 Evil weather? (7) OUTLIVE {EVIL}* [RA]
20 Deduction is that belt's almost genuine and modish basically (7) THEOREM THEORE{Mo...h} Anno pending
22 Groom is about to get old, maiden's baulking to start (4) COMB {C}{O}{M}{Ba...g}
23 Prepare cheese, feta to begin with (5) BRIEF {BRIE}{Feta}
25 Look at the source, take notice, receive direction and study (5) LEARN {Look}{EAR}{N}
GRID
1 Ram resorts to coercion... (3-8) ARM-TWISTING {RAM}* [RA]
9 ...deals with partner and gets a company share primarily (7) MANAGES {MAN}{A}{GE}{S
10 Plans to pinch the cash (7) HATCHES*
11 Veils will be in demand following month on Sabbath (5) MASKS {M}{ASK}{S}
12 Single French gentlemen seen at topless model's engagement (9) IMMERSION {1}{MM}{
13 Mercenary, hooligan in jail, arrested (5) NINJA [T]
15 A batsman with no substance, say consumed at first slip; gives up (9) ABNEGATES {A}{B
18 Small step taken with uncertainty; avoided bad start but got dazed (6-3) SPACED-OUT {S}{PACE}{DOU
21 One who works in a pit may ingest noxious elements right at the start (5) MINER Acrostic
22 Partner is a techie sweating to earn a billion by middle of September (9) COHABITEE COH{A}{B}ITE{
24 Fabric many long to hold (5) NYLON [T]
26 Most important to retain right to have a cocktail (7) MARTINI {MA{RT}IN}{1}
27 Tiring routine of artist to draw (3,4) RAT RACE {RA}{TRACE}
28 Brotherhood is the norm, say (11) FREEMASONRY {NORM+SAY}* [RA]
DOWN
1 Passage's last word is on tanks, shells and weaponry (9) ARMAMENTS {ARM}{AMEN}{T
2 Manufactures notebook at school (5) MINTS {MI}{NT}{S}
3 Woman's maturity and degree determines salary structure (4,5) WAGE SCALE {W}{AGE} {SCALE}
4 Some of the wisest in academia compose a poem (7) SESTINA [T]
5 Husband leads Uma into hotel that's strange (7) INHUMAN {IN{H}{UMA}N}
6 Reptile skips the end of the door and takes another gate (5) GATOR {GAT
7 Name of the child's Regina, delivered by nurse on 1st... (8) CHRISTEN {CH}{R}{1ST}{EN}
8 ...which is a crime (2,2) AS IN {A}{SIN}
14 He ranted about a cowboy (8) NEATHERD*
16 Arranges in pairs and shoots right away (9) GEMINATES GE
17 Oddly wander on road before having some liquor at Yanam primarily (9) STRANGELY {ST}{RANGE}{L
19 Evil weather? (7) OUTLIVE {EVIL}* [RA]
20 Deduction is that belt's almost genuine and modish basically (7) THEOREM THEORE{M
22 Groom is about to get old, maiden's baulking to start (4) COMB {C}{O}{M}{B
23 Prepare cheese, feta to begin with (5) BRIEF {BRIE}{F
25 Look at the source, take notice, receive direction and study (5) LEARN {L
GRID
Bhargav's Talepiece
The bouncer and the dancer - Part 54
Andrej, the Czech oldie received a BRIEF reprieve as he got a brainwave and suggested that the list had not been checked from the angle of GEMINATES. He even went to the extent of suggesting that Spinner could be a code word for a dancer doubling as a spy!!
Thus he STRANGELY MANAGES to escape some INHUMAN treatment and ARM TWISTING.
His THEOREM seems plausible and the message is taken up and COMBED for more clarity. Soon a team member suggests another name: A person CHRISTENED as Dr.X.
They were aware of one Dr.X. and were trying to figure out who it referred to for many months.
They now felt that the names have been SPACED OUT in the cryptic message.
The Government to whom they were reporting was happy to LEARN about the progress made...
What happened next?
22a techie-> the CIO.
ReplyDelete+1 to Col.
DeletePrasad,then it becomes indirect anagram.
Moreover if CIO is 'Chief Information Officer' is not a techie
DeleteYes, after all a techie is a technologist.
DeleteI feel Col. is right, but why 'e' is left out of techie?
DeleteWhat does 'sweating to' indicate? Is it (to-t=O)?
I am adding one more deletion.
20d that->other belt(hit anind), almost(close to) genuine E, M
ReplyDeleteAgain that becomes anOTHER indirect anagram, Prasad
DeleteJust noticed, Col.
ReplyDelete20DN Tried for sometime and gave up ANNOying clue!
Decided to see the number of clue types that AD has used today.
ReplyDeleteTotal clues: 29
Pure Charades:8
Charade with Deletions:9
Charade with container:2
Reverse Anagram:3
Telescopic:3
Anagram:2
Partial Anagram:1
Acrostic:1
CD: Nil
DD: Nil
Great analysis Vasant!
DeleteBut why AD alone? Why not other setters?
Start counting when you find something odd?!
DeleteNo particular reason. As I did the puzzle, I thought there were many charades. Just checked and shared
DeleteRaju is allergic to deletions (so am I)- 9!
ReplyDeleteCGB,
ReplyDeleteQuite a few solution words used today and that too very aptly. Also I see Spinner & Dr.X and I have a feeling you are trying to introduce setters as well. God going.
We get GE frequently in AD puzzles.
ReplyDelete9A- Partner=Man?
ReplyDeleteYes Paddy
DeleteThank you KKR.
Delete7D- 'EN' from?
ReplyDeleteEN delivers nurse, ha ha!
ReplyDeleteThank you KKR- again to my rescue.
ReplyDeleteEnrolled nurse- I never get this as well as RN for registered.
Vasant & Dr Nabar: Saw your comments in yesterday's posting. I too will be delighted to meet you both from the THCC family. God willing , that is !
ReplyDeleteVasant: Your analysis of Afterdark's compilation in terms of classification is simply marvellous and educative to those who do not know the science of parsing. I wonder how any compiler can distrubute the clues with classifications when there are so many hurdles and limitations in the crosses and downs ! A virtual obstacle race for the mind !
Of course, the software available can sort these out I suppose ? Yet the compilers have a daunting task. When I get on to compiling, I fill in the words first and then allocate the cluing to each and then by a process of trial and error a final grid emerges for every one to throw brickbats at ! I have not started using any software except for the skeletal grid, though I am advised by the Col and CV that Crossword Compiler is a great help.
Raju: I don't think any software will help in writing clues. It is I think the Setter's proclivity. Some Setters would be conscious of the distribution of clue types and would change their clues accordingly.
DeleteAs a lover of words and phrases, I had received a very delectable piece from Dr Sreenivasan yesterday and I reproduce it here for those who have not received it in the THCC. Amazing piece of imparting knowledge of the variety and virtuosity of the language.
ReplyDeleteBy G. NOLSTE TRENITE
If you can pronounce correctly every word in this poem, you will be speaking English better than 90% of the native English speakers in the world.
After trying the verses, a Frenchman said he’d prefer six months of hard labour to reading six lines aloud.
Dearest creature in creation,
Study English pronunciation.
I will teach you in my verse
Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse.
I will keep you, Suzy, busy,
Make your head with heat grow dizzy.
Tear in eye, your dress will tear.
So shall I! Oh hear my prayer.
Just compare heart, beard, and heard,
Dies and diet, lord and word,
Sword and sward, retain and Britain.
(Mind the latter, how it’s written.)
Now I surely will not plague you
With such words as plaque and ague.
But be careful how you speak:
Say break and steak, but bleak and streak;
Cloven, oven, how and low,
Script, receipt, show, poem, and toe.
Hear me say, devoid of trickery,
Daughter, laughter, and Terpsichore,
Typhoid, measles, topsails, aisles,
Exiles, similes, and reviles;
Scholar, vicar, and cigar,
Solar, mica, war and far;
One, anemone, Balmoral,
Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel;
Gertrude, German, wind and mind,
Scene, Melpomene, mankind.
Billet does not rhyme with ballet,
Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet.
Blood and flood are not like food,
Nor is mould like should and would.
Viscous, viscount, load and broad,
Toward, to forward, to reward.
And your pronunciation’s OK
When you correctly say croquet,
Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve,
Friend and fiend, alive and live.
Ivy, privy, famous; clamour
And enamour rhyme with hammer.
River, rival, tomb, bomb, comb,
Doll and roll and some and home.
Stranger does not rhyme with anger,
Neither does devour with clangour.
Souls but foul, haunt but aunt,
Font, front, wont, want, grand, and grant,
Shoes, goes, does. Now first say finger,
And then singer, ginger, linger,
Real, zeal, mauve, gauze, gouge and gauge,
Marriage, foliage, mirage, and age.
Query does not rhyme with very,
Nor does fury sound like bury.
Dost, lost, post and doth, cloth, loth.
Job, nob, bosom, transom, oath.
Though the differences seem little,
We say actual but victual.
Refer does not rhyme with deafer.
Fe0ffer does, and zephyr, heifer.
Mint, pint, senate and sedate;
Dull, bull, and George ate late.
Scenic, Arabic, Pacific,
Science, conscience, scientific.
Liberty, library, heave and heaven,
Rachel, ache, moustache, eleven.
We say hallowed, but allowed,
People, leopard, towed, but vowed.
Mark the differences, moreover,
Between mover, cover, clover;
Leeches, breeches, wise, precise,
Excellent!Thanks for sharing & thanks to Dr. Srinivasan.
DeleteIn 1ac - how do u get twisting (I also got it but without anno)
ReplyDeleteIn 22d - how do you get c in comb?
In 12 ac - m is used for french man?
In 22 ac - sweating means - delete the last letter?
In 28ac - how do u get free? ( I got it wo anno)
Please reply - becos by following ur blog silently - I have graduated to 90-100% answers on most days - a great achievement for me - but not always with annos. Sometimes it's guesswork or fill up letters only till I c ur blog.
But thanx for everything.
1A: it is a Reverse anagram, we have to provide the anagram indicator..in this case twisting..if you twist arm you get Ram
Delete22D: C comes from about(Circa)
Delete12A: Man in French is Monsieur..M(as im M. Hercule Poirot)
Delete22A: Sweating I think is an anagram indicator. There is a problem with the fodder in the clue
Delete28A: It is again a Reverse Anagram. We have to provide the anagram indicator. In this case it is free. Anagram(Free) Norm say to get Free Masonry meaning brotherhood
DeleteGowri: It is indeed a great achievement. By annotating diligently you will become a very good solver.
DeleteVasant,
ReplyDeleteI had a smile when I read M for Monsieur-M. Hercule Poirot. Probably, I might have given the same example,if needed. Certain things just come automatically to mind.
Many will recall another famous M. Head of the Secret Intelligence Service and Boss of none other than 007 !!
Delete